Editor's note: This is the first in the Sun-News' five-part annual series examining the salaries of those working for local governments.

LAS CRUCES >> New Mexico State University is spending more on salaries this year as the school and state implement plans to raise pay to national medians.

More than half of NMSU's $610 million operating budget of the NMSU system goes to salaries, benefits, sick time, insurance and more, according to NMSU officials.

The $207 million spent strictly on salaries this year is $3 million more than this time last year, according to a Sun-News analysis of NMSU data requested under the state Inspection of Public Records Act.

Most NMSU employees received a 1 percent pay raise this year, funded largely by the state.

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Another raise is on the way, including an NMSU first: merit-based raises for professors and instructors.

Top earners

NMSU officials continue to have the highest salaries of all public employees in Doña Ana County.

For the second time, NMSU's top 10 earners all make more than $200,000 a year.

Their combined salaries total more than $2.6 million, up 2 percent from last year.

The highest earner at NMSU and in the county — President Garrey Carruthers at $385,000 — makes nearly 10 times the median household income in Las Cruces, $40,318, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. University of New Mexico President Robert Frank earns $355,000 in annual pay along with $100,000 in deferred compensation per year.

At NMSU, high salaries are not limited to executives.

More employees than ever earn $100,000 or more per year, including deans, department heads, coaches, associate professors and more.

This year, nearly 250 people earn at least $100,000, up from 217 last year and 188 the year before.

Faculty pay raises

Yet many NMSU faculty continue to have salaries below the national medians — or the middle salary — for their fields.

There are 375 faculty members, both tenure-track and not, who do not earn within 10 percent of the medians in their fields, according to NMSU. They make up more than 40 percent of NMSU's faculty.

"We had fallen significantly behind our peer institutions, that it was affecting morale here," Provost Dan Howard said. "It was important to do something to recognize that the faculty here are just as good. ... Compensation is the way in which you help to tell them they're important to the institution."

Faculty Senate Chair Dennis Clason agreed.

"We ought not measure our value in terms of the monies that are distributed to us, but we do," he said.

Just more than 20 percent of NMSU's staff are professors or instructors.

Officials expect the university may need the next two fiscal years to get all faculty within 10 percent of the median.

Faculty and staff will begin receiving raises in July, funded by state appropriations and next year's tuition and fee increases.

Staff raises planned

Non-exempt staff — who typically earn hourly wages and receive overtime pay — will also see pay increases in the coming year.

More than $50,000 has also been set aside to bring up employees earning below entry-level wages. They will receive a 5 percent raise to get close to that entry-level rate, Peña said.

The move is the second step in a two-part plan to raise those salaries, he said.

NMSU first: merit pay

NMSU also will implement merit-based pay raises for faculty for the first time.

About $1.4 million in state appropriations and $940,000 in university funds will go merit pay.

Raises will be based on faculty's annual evaluations, Howard said.

The model will likely be in place for the years to come, officials said.

"We do think that's a good message to send to the faculty ... and that going forward, this is an institution that values good work," Howard said.

Clason said he is skeptical about merit pay.

"The problem that I have with merit pay is measuring merit is really difficult and it opens up issues: who are the fair-haired children and who are the red-headed stepchildren in the department?" He said.

Yet he acknowledged the need to reward NMSU's star professors.

"I suppose merit pay is as good a measure as any," he said. "... We're humans; we like to be rewarded for what we do."

Howard said no faculty will be left behind as merit-based raises become the norm.

"There's a fear that somehow someone who is performing less well than someone else — writing less papers, doing less research — is going to be suddenly compensated a lot less," Howard said. "Everybody is going to get something. No one is going to be left behind."

New faculty positions

NMSU will also spend $1 million to create 10 to 12 new faculty positions.

"The size of our faculty has not increased as much as the size of our (student) class," Howard said.

The jobs will likely be a mix of tenure-track and non-tenure-track positions, he said.

Deans will request money for new hires, then NMSU officials will determine where the new positions will be added, he said. Some may be used to staff classes that are high in demand; others may fill research needs.

"Faculty are the lifeblood of the university," Clason said. "New colleagues bring new ideas. New colleagues help keep experienced faculty on their toes. They help us stay up to date in our fields."

Lindsey Anderson can be reached at 575-541-5462.

Members of the New Mexico State Faculty Senate listen to a discussion on admission requirements during a recent meeting. Just more than 20 percent of NMSU employees are professors and instructors. (Carlos Javier Sanchez — Sun-News)

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